Discharging-machine for gas-retorts.



J. WEST. l DISGHARGING MACHINE FOR GAS RETORTS APPLIOATION FILED DB0. 9,1904.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

famed/7919x577. A

J. WEST. DISGHARGING MACHINE FOR GAS RETORTS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG. 9, 1904.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vH: NoRRls PETERS co., WASHINGTON. D. c,

J. WEST. DISCHARGING MACHINE POR GA-S RETORTS. APPLICATION MLED DEG. 9,1904.

898,537. Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

` www -rH'E nanars Ps1-:Rs cm. wAsHmcroN, :r1 r:v

J. WEST. V DISGHARGING MACHINE PoR GAS RBTORTS,

APPLICATION FILED DEC.9,1904. 898,537 Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

fm www Nw# Cfr JOHN WEST, OF SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND.

DISCHARGING-MACHINE FOR GAS-RETORTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 15, 1908.

Application filed December 9, 1904. Serial No. 236,210.

To all 'whom it 'may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOHN WEST, a subject of the King of Great Britainand Ireland, residing at The Firs, Park Road, Southport, in the countyof Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Discharging Machines for Gas Retorts; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to a telescopic ram forming part of a machine fordischarging gas retorts.

In this invention the ram is constructed of several parts whichtelescope into each other so that the overall length of the ram when outof the retort is less than when in the retort and the parts forming thetelescopic portion of the ram are extended to cause the head of the ramto make a stroke of sufficient length to enable the whole of the coke tobe discharged out of the full length of the retort.

The telscopic ram consists of a stationary outer tube of suitablesection and forming a track into which slides a part of the ramconstructed of two lengths of channels or other suitable sectionparallel with each other and forming a box into which slides a rod orbars carrying the ram head and having spaces or gaps between them toreceive two feather strips which are attached to the inside of thestationary outer tube for the pu pose of 'keeping a chain hereafterdescribed rigidwhen the ram is being extended.

To one end of the rod or bars which carry the ram head is attached theend of a block link chain which passes round or engages with the teethof a sprocket chain wheel placed in a fixed position on the machine,this wheel on being rotated in one direction drives the chain into andalong the channel section or box tube; and the chain being attached toone end of the rod carrying the rain head pushes the rod or innersection of the ram together with its head forward, the rod sliding alongthe inside of the channel section or box tube, and when the innersection of the ram has made its full stroke along this tube it engagesinto saine and the continued rotation of the sprocket driving chainwheel causes the chain to further push the inner ram forward, and carryalong with it the next section of the telescopic ram until the fullstroke of the ram head is completed and the coke is discharged out ofthe retort. The stationary outer tube is the fixed part of the frame ortrack in which the movable parts forming the telescopic ram slide.

In order to bring the ram head back to the machine after it hasdischarged a retort the direction of the ruiming of the sprocket chaindriving wheel is reversed and the chain is pulled in the oppositedirection when the telescopic parts of the ram close up into each otherand into the stationary outer tube or track.

The tail of the chain may be made to pass over a sprocket or plain chainwheel and stored in a box or tube, the chain wheel acting as a guide forleading the chain to the box or tube, but this guide sprocket or plainchain wheel may be dispensed with if the path of the chain track iscarried round in a semi-circular path as shown on the accompanyingdrawing or the chain wheel may be used for the-purpose of driving thechain as well as acting as a guide for the same. Motion may be given tothe chain driving wheel by any convenient method of driving gearactuated by either a compressed air, gas, oil or electrically drivenmotor itted to the machine or the gear may be driven by belts, ropes,chains or shafting for communicating power from a motor or engine notnecessarily fixed on the machine but apart from same. As the motion ofthe discharging ram is a reciprocating motion, provision is made inconnection with the gear for automatically sto ping or reversing thedriving gear at each en of the stroke of the rain when being driven intoand out of the retort, and this automatic reversing gear may whenrequired put into action a brake to cause the parts to come to rest onthe machine without shock. The machine will be provided with gear foradjusting the ram to the level of the retorts and will be provided withtraveling gear for propelling it along rails fixed parallel with theretort stack.

ln the foregoing description the telescopic ram consists of a fixedouter tube and two inner rams with a chain attached to the innermostram, but the number of parts forming the complete ram and which partstelesco e into each other may be increased if it is esired to stillshorten the overall length of the other and out of the retort, thelength of the chain regulating the length of the complete stroke of theram; the parts untelescoping and following the chain with the inner ramand head when the latter makes the outstroke towards the retort andtelescoping into each other as the chain returns to the tube or box inwhich it is stored.

In order that this invention may be readily understood I will proceed todescribe the same in reference to the accompanying drawings in which Ishow the application of my invention to a gas retort dischargingmachine.

Figure 1 is a cross section through the fixed outer tube showing thetelescopic rams in same. Fig. 2 is a cross section through the iixedouter tube showing the chain which is connected to the rod or bar towhich is attached the ram head. Fig. 3 is a cross section through thefixed outer tube showing the telescopic rams in same and a portion ofthe sprocket chain driving wheel in gear with the chain which isattached to the bars to one end of which is attached the ram head. Fig.4 is a cross section through the fixed outer tube showing the telescopicrams. Fig. 5 shows the parts forming the telescopic ram extended as whenthe rain is in the retort. Fig. 6

shows the parts forming the telescopic ram closed up in the fixed outertube and chain track. F ig. 7 is a side elevation, Fig. 8 is a plan andFig. 9 is an end view of the rod to one end of which is attached therain head and the other the chain; the rod being constructed as in Figs.3 and 4, with two side bars having distance pieces of the same form asthe blocks of the chain and rivetedor fixed to the bars at the samepitch as the block links of the chain. Fig. 1() is a cross section, Fig.11 is part sectional and side elevation and Fig. 12 is a plan of one ofthe telescopic rains into which the chain and the rod carrying the rainhead slides; these figures show the stops which engage with the rodcarrying the rain head and the fixed outer tube when the telescopicparts are extended. Fig. 13 is an enlarged cross section showing theother parts of the telescopic rain in same.

Referring to the drawings, e is the ram head; f is the stationary outertube which is fixed to the machine; Zt is the telescopic ram constructedof two lengths of channels or other suitable section parallel with eachother and forming a box into which slides a rod or bars carrying a ramhead e and having spaces or gaps between thein to receive two featherstrips vZc and Zr which are attached to the inside of the stationarytube One end of the outer tube f is curved over as shown in Figs. 5 and6 and continued to the length required to store the chain. Thiscontinuation of the outer tube f forms a box or tube into which the tailend of the driving chain Z is stored when the telescopic parts of theram are closed up in the outer tube. The

chain Z is constructed of a block link L with side links L2 oinedtogether with pins L3.

m is the sprocket chain driving wheel gearing into the distance blocks Lriveted between the bars and and the chain block L2.

The chain Z is attached to the end of the rod or bars In order todescribe the action of discharging a retort by the machine and assumingthat the rod j, ram Zt and chain Z are closed up in the fixed outer tubej, a rotary motion is given to the chain driving wheel m gearing intothe block links L causing the chain Z to push the rod and head e forwardtowards the retort; the 'ram Zt remaining stationary until theprojections o come into contact with projections p of the rain Zt whenthe continued forward motion of the chain causes the ram Zt to be drawnout of the fixed outer tube f until at the end ol' the stroke it isprevented from leaving the tube f by the stops q coming into contactwith the stops r; the chain driving wheel m is then'reversed in thedirection of running and the rod closes up into the ram h and pulls sameinto the outer tube The tail end of the chain will store itself in thecontinuation of the outer tube f as shown in Figs.l 5 and 6. During theforegoing action of the machine the coke will be pushed forward in frontof the ram head and discharged out of the retort at the other end.

The object of the feather strips Zr and 7c formed with the outer tube fis to form guides for the chain blocks and keep the chain rigid when theram Zi is extended out ofthe tube f. The tail end of the chain isprovided with special side links L4 which are deeper to take the placeof the bottom feather strip 7c in the alternative arrangement in whichthe ram h is made constructed of channel section as shown in Figs. 3, 4,and 5. The chain Z which pushes the rams forward and into the retort anddrags them back into the tube on the machine is always protected andkept rigid by being inclosed in either the telescopic parts of the ramor in the outer tube f.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letteis Patent is l. In a mechanismfor discharging coke retorts the combination of a plurality of hollowsections one adapted to telescope in the other, ay chain located in saidsections7 a ram head attached to said chain, means to move or drive saidchain, means to connect said chain with said hollow sectionsrespectively whereby the movement of said chain is transmitted to saidsections, and means associated with one of said sections to hold thechain rigid and thereby prevent buckling of the chain in the actofdischarging the coke.

2. In a mechanism for discharging gas 'retorts, the combination of anumber of telescopic sections, a chain operable in said sections, meansassociated with one of said sections to hold the portion of said chainadapted to project out of the forward end of said sections rigid, a ramhead connected to said chain, means to connect said chain with saidhollow sections respectively, and means to move or drive said chain.

3. A machine for discharging gas retorts, comprising a ram head, aflexible element for moving said head, a rigid hollow guide in whichsaid flexible element is adapted to travel, means associated with saidguide to render said exible element rigid during its passage throughsaid guide, and means for actuating said flexible element.

4. In a device for-discharging gas retorts, the combination of a numberof hollow telescopic sections, a ram head, a flexible pusher, connectedto said ram head, and adapted to move backward and forward in saidhollow sections, means to move said pusher, means to connect said hollowsections respectively with said pusher whereby the movement of saidpusher is transmitted to said sections, and means associated with one ofsaid sections to hold the chain rigid and thereby prevent buckling ofthe chain in the act of discharging the coke.

5. In a device for discharging gas retorts, the combination with ahollow rigid guide, of a plurality of telescopic sections arrangedtherein and movable relatively thereto, a

ram head connected to one of said sections, a fiexible pusher arrangedin said guide for actuating said ram head, connections between saidsections for actuating the latter from the flexible pusher, means foroperating the ilexible pusher, and means associated with said guide tohold the pusher rigid and thereby prevent buckling of the pusher in theact of discharging the coke.

6. In a device for discharging gas retorts, the combination with ahollow rigid guide one end of which is extended, of a plurality oftelescopic sections arranged in said guide and movable relativelythereto, a ram head connected to one of said sections, a flexible pusherarranged in said guide for actuating said ram head, and adapted to bestored in the extended end of the guide when the device is in itscontracted position, connections between said sections for actuating thelatter from the flexible pusher, means for operating the flexiblepusher, and means associated with said guide to hold the pusher rigidand thereby prevent buckling of the pusher in the act of discharging thecoke.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

' JOHN WEST.

Witnesses:

ERNALD SIMPSON MosELEY, MALCOLM SMETHURST.

